The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-07-23

Lying at this port is the brig Orucn,
whose hull was pierced by the sword of
swordtish, the weapon penetrating
through sixteen inches Gf plank and fill
ing. The Scientific An,eritan quotes from
the Bulletin IF tie E,itcd .Siutcs Fish
C0mWt$Sto" a more remarkable story of an
attack by a swordish, which resulted
fatally. The account. which was CON
tanned by con munication from w. 4.
Wilcox to Professor Baird of the Smith
sonian Institution, says:
The schooner Venus is a small vessel
OF about y tons, owned and commanded
by Franklin d. Langsford, of GAINESVILLE,
Mass, with a crew OF three men, engaged
III the general fisheries off the coast of
Massachusetts. On Monday morning.
August 9, 1856, Captain Lansford sailed
from home in pursuit of swordfish. About
II A. NJ, when eight miles northeast from
Halibut Point, in Ipswich Bay, fish
was seen. The captain, with one man.
taking dory, gave chase and soon har-
pooned the fish, throwing over buoy
with line attached to the harpoon.
after which the fish was left aud they re-
turned to the vessel for duner. About
an hour later the captain, with one man,
again took his dory and went out to Sc
cure the fish. Picking up the buoy, Cap
tain Langsford took hold OF the line,
pulling his boat toward the sworifsh,
which was quite large and not badly
wounded. The line was taut as the boat
slowly neared the fish, which the captain
intended to lance and thus kill 1t. When
near the fish, but too far away to reach
it with the lance, it quickly turned and
| rushed at and under the boat, thrusting
its word up through the bottom of the
boat % inches. As the fish turned and
rushed toward the boat the line was sud
denly Stacked, causing the captain to fall
over on his back; and while he was in the
act of rising the sword came piercing
through the boat and into his body. At
this time another swordfsh was in sight
near by, and the captain, excited and
anxious to secure both, raised himself
up not knowing that he was wounded.
Seeing the sword he seized it, exclaiming,
We've got him any way lie lay in
the bottom of the dor, holding fast to
the sword, until his vessel came along
side, while the fish, being under the boat
could not be reached. Soon the captain
said. 81 think | am hurt, and quite
badly" When the vessel arrived he
went on board, took few steps, and fell,
never rising again. The boat and fish
were hoisted on board, when the sword
was chopped off to free the boat, and the
fish was killed on the deck of the vessci.
The fish weighed 245 pounds after its
head and tail were cut off and the viscera
removed. When alive it weighed some
thing over 800 pounds. Captain Langs-
ford survived the injury about three days.
dying on Thursday, August IL, of peri
tonitis. The certificate Of DR.. Garland,
written on the 10Th of August, is appen-
wv, SlNibS sunni iui INCL iaI llCuiStLS >, anu
the sword has been deposited in tho
United States National Museum.
CERTIFICATE OF DIR. JOSEPH GARLAND.
This may certify that called to visit
Franklin d. Langstnrd, of Lanesville, iii
Gloucester, on August y, in consulta-
ton with DR.. Levi Saunders, who VS.
in attendance upon the said Largsford,
on account of a wound inflicted upon his
body by swordfish on the oh instant.
said swordtish having driven its sword
through the bottom of the fishing dory
he was in to the length OF twcnty-thrce
inches, penetrating the body of Langs-
ford at the right of the os coccyH and en-
tcring about seven inches, by the side
of the rectum. into the pelvic cavity;
that said Langsford was dying and did
die, in my presence, of peritonitis, hay-
ing survived the injury ABOUT three days;
that the sword accompanying this certili
cate is the veritable sword that occas-
ioncd the accident, and is to be sent to
the National Museum at Washington.
Gloucester, Mass. October II. 1886.